Change
by mimie-puddleduck
Summary: Magic reveal. VERY short, based briefly off the trailer for Monday' ep. Ish. Turned into drabbles. Spoilers.
1. They waited

**Basically, I was discussing Merlin with the peasants on facebook, and this happened.**  
**You've NO idea how difficult it was not making this M rated, but they wouldn't be able to handle it.**  
**And I know it's RIDICULOUSLY short, but ah well. Might expand it after my other fics are done and dusted (they're taking so long *cries).**  
**R&R if you can be bothered! xx**

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The old man's features slowly morphed into shockingly familiar ones. The white hair receeded into short black tufts, the eyes strengthened, skin smoothed out and the beard vanished. In long red robes, but it was him all the same.

Arthur's mouth fell open in recognition. "M...Merlin?!" He gasped, incredulously."I...You..."  
"It was me all along." Merlin lowered his gaze, aware of his position. He was in open air now - his secrets revealed. His stomach tightened nervously. "It's always been me," He started to ramble as Arthur began to pace, his face unreadable. He didn't speak, and Merlin tried to hide his fear. He had waited for this moment, Arthur had to take it the right way. He had to make Arthur see that his magic was a force for good. "I was born with it, I didn't do anything wrong, I couldn't help it. Magic is in me, I am magic."  
Arthur stopped suddenly, and whirled around to face Merlin. "You killed my father. You...Why then?" His voice cracked and trembled slightly. "You had years of opportunity - why did you kill him before then?"

"I didn't kill him Arthur. Morgana did. She caused my spell-" Arthur flinched slightly, "-to backfire."  
"But you... y'know, you would have wanted him dead."  
"No."  
"No?" Arthur's voice was quiet and less surprised than hopeful, and Merlin realised that he wanted a way out just as desperately as Merlin did. They didn't want Merlin to be exiled, and right now Arthur was praying that Merlin had a good excuse.  
"No. He murdered many, slaughtered my kind, a great deal of magic users wanted him dead, but not me. I wasn't going to kill him. That would make me as bad as he was. And... he's your father. Killing him would hurt you, and I never wanted that."  
"What did you want?"  
Merlin smiled, that was easy. "This."

They stayed there all night, on Arthur's bed, just talking mostly. They lay down side by side, on top of the covers, too tired to move. Gwen was still being healed in the infirmary, and Merlin felt no need to go away. He would remain, and answer Arthur's questions. He would show him that magic was good. At first it was strange, for both of them, but as dawn grew nearer their tongues became looser, and they talked as tired men do. Merlin finally could breathe, he hadn't fully appreciated how much he had held everything back. He was pleased to hear Arthur ask him questions.  
For Arthur, on the other hand, things slotted into place. It was odd, but their discussion felt natural, instinctive. This was meant to happen. He should be here, talking with Merlin about magic. Yet something was tugging at him.

"Merlin?" He asked, unsure of how to put his mind into words.  
"Yes?" Merlin asked, smiling.  
"I..." He faltered, realising that he had never really said this aloud before. "All the people that died, at mine and my father's hand... I'm sorry."  
"But you'll make amends, you'll change things, won't you?" Merlin still didn't stop grinning. He had been wanting this for a long time. All those secrets, the burden that Arthur couldn't understand. Could Camelot be made new? Could magic be allowed? Would it do more good than bad? He realised that the 'bad' tended to still practise magic anyway. Freedom for everyone.

"Yes. We will change things."  
"Then concentrate on the future. You can't improve the past, so work in the present."  
Merlin spoke with a fire in his eyes that Arthur hadn't seen before. He remembered how Dragoon had eyes that glowed golden when he used magic. "Merlin...You know how you can... use magic... could you?"

Merlin sat bolt upright, his face glowing triumphantly. He sat bolt upright and cupped his hands together, and Arthur watched intently. Merlin whispered, Arthur couldn't quite catch what he was saying and then a butterfly the colour of his eyes darted out and danced around the room.  
"You created life!" He said incredulously.

Merlin smiled at him "So you don't mind..?"

Arthur laughed. "I think... I think I always knew."

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**Told you it was short :3**


	2. He waited

**TINY little bit extra because feels.**

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Camelot held nothing for Merlin any more. Every flash of a red cloak, every glint of armour, and he thought of him. He thought of Arthur. So he left. Quietly, slipping away and fading into obscurity. He stayed by Arthur, by the lake, just where he should be. Sometimes, he'd look out at the moonlit lake and talk. He'd tell Arthur what he thought, how much he missed him, how clear the sky was and how cutting the cold air. He wasn't certain that Arthur could hear him, but he did it anyway. And then, many years later, when the world had changed and his name was a mere whisper, he found out that Arthur could. And Arthur returned to him.


	3. Author's Note

**A/N - I hate to shamelessly promote like this, but if you like these two drabbles, then would you be interested in my other fic?**

**It's called 'Waiting'**

**I just feel bad because I won't be updating this serious of drabbles very much, if at all.  
**  
**It takes place straight after s5, until Arthur rises from Avalon.  
**  
**Includes:**  
**Merlin's coping with Arthur's death**  
**Merlin's adventures through history**  
**Arthur and Merlin in the future**  
**ALL THE CHARACTERS. LITERALLY.**

**Written in Merlin and Arthur pov at different times.**

**Thanks for your attention to this one :)**


	4. Coranation

It was the day of Gwen's coronation. The flags were sailing and the sun was shining, and everything was not all right. The absence of the king weighed down heavily on them all.

Merlin stood beside Gaius, his eyes narrowed as the watched the ceremony. It was formal, and it seemed to be ignoring Arthur completely. It had been two months now, and Merlin was starting to wonder if he would ever be the same again.

"Do you promise..."

Merlin's focus waned, and he found himself looking around the great hall aimlessly. Gwen, looking stately and royal in her red dress. Merlin could see her biting her lip as it wobbled slightly, in a brave attempt not to cry. The people, presented in their best and smiling, for the sake of their queen. He gazed longingly out at the sun drenched courtyard, and wished himself away from this musty place.

He went to face forward again, shuffling his feet, and froze. Not him. It couldn't possibly be him. His blood ran cold. That wasn't him outside. There was no way it could be. Was he seeing things? The man had golden hair, startling blue eyes, and wore red. Without fully realising it, Merlin was quietly weaving his way through the crowd, desperate to prove to himself that he wasn't going mad, that no way could he be going mad. He opened the great wooden doors slightly and slipped outside. "Toilet," He muttered to the guards, who averted their eyes.

He tried not to, but he ended up running through the corridors; they were practically empty; everyone was either in the kitchens preparing for the feast or at the coronation. At last, he skidded to a halt. Magic was being used, he could sense it. But it somehow seemed familiar, as from a dream of old.

"Arthur," He said simply, his breath taken away. That was him, or at least somebody that looked like his best friend. Arthur turned towards him and smiled slightly.

"Hello Merlin."

Merlin stumbled closer, in a complete daze. "How did...?"

"The water..." He indicated to the large puddle in which he was standing in. His boots appeared to be completely dry. "You can see me because you have magic."

"Is it... okay there?"

Arthur tried not to roll his eyes. Trust Merlin to be worried about HIM. "I get by."

Something struck Merlin. "Why are you in the open, anybody could see you!"

"Only you can; you have magic."

Merlin's shoulders slumped. There was so much that he wanted to say, and now that the moment had arrived he had forgotten everything.

"Tell Guinevere that I love her."

Merlin nodded feebly. "I will."

"Merlin, I don't have much time left."

Merlin opened his mouth but Arthur spoke first.

"I know that you're blaming yourself, and you shouldn't. I was the one who got myself stabbed. You couldn't do anything."

He started to fade, Merlin could see the courtyard behind him. "Arthur!" He cried warningly.

"I will see you again. In the future." The king surveyed the skies thoughtfully. "And Merlin, look after her. Become who you were meant to be. You are making your father proud."

The king faded completely, until all that remained was the strands of lingering magic. Shouts of 'Long live the Queen!" Echoed around the castle, resounding through the streets. A new era had started, but it wouldn't be with him. With Arthur.

"To the future," Merlin whispered.


End file.
